Friday, December 16, 2016

I ain’t giving you a dollar

At least once a week I am reminded by a news story or online
video about a subject that has become a daily occurrence in every city, school,
or neighborhood in the US of A. It’s one that parents fear, kids hate, and no
one seems to be able to get a grip on what exactly we need to do to stop it.
Yup, its violent coercion and we simplify it by calling it bullying.

The cruelty of harassment has been around since the Garden
of Eden and it would be a fantasy to believe it will ever stop. Intimidation is
a deviant art form that is developed by trial and error and finally success
until the perpetrator has it down pat. Like the professional football player,
by the time they come into their twenties, they’ve been playing this game for
many years. There is only one action that can put an abrupt kink it its
development and it is a most effective tool. Resistance.

“Sorry I ain’t got no money.
I’m not trying to be funny, but I left it all at home today.
You can call me what you wanna I ain’t giving you a dollar.
This time I ain’t gonna run away.”

According to the King James Bible, it even works on Lucifer.
“…Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” I’ve written on this subject
before, but please bear with me, as this is a subject that screams to be
repeated and the intended audience is every person reading this column.
Bullying goes on in every country and every stratum of the social world; from
powerful politicians and world leaders to the street urchins living in the
sewers of a Third World country.

Children learn at a very young age to force their will upon
others and most of us learn along the way, that there might just be a better
method of getting what we want – some don’t. They continue to hone their
compulsive skills throughout adolescence and enter adulthood seasoned veterans
of maltreatment of those they believe are weak. Often they carry this
philosophy into the workplace and through deceit and subtlety, arrive in prime
positions to practice their skill. You know exactly what I am talking about and
know many instances of people just like this.

“You might knock me down, you might knock me down.
But I will get back up again.
You can call it how you wanna, I ain’t giving you a dollar.
This time I ain’t gonna run away, run away, run away.”

This perception of weakness draws them out like a vulture to
carrion. It is as irresistible to them as a delicious treat to a child. They
lust and feed on it and this is the same behavior criminals feed on when they
rob a clerk or an unsuspecting person at an ATM or a parking lot. When a person
appears unaware or timid, it sparks this deviant fire inside them and they
compulsively attack to feed.

When a shopper returns to their car with their keys in their
hand and are visually scanning the parking lot, the bully dismisses them for
wont of an easier target. The same goes in the school hall when they butt up
against someone and that person straightens their back and loudly confronts
them. The difference here is the school bully hasn’t developed their skill
enough to know when to stop and this is why you may just take a beating when
you resist – the first time. If you continue to resist, they will find someone
who they believe won’t and leave you alone and that is the gist of the song I
am quoting.

Resistance to bullying is the only answer and compliance to
their wishes more times than not will only result in something negative for
you. Am I saying if a person sticks a gun in your face you should fight them?
No, I am not, but try and put yourself in a position where this scenario
doesn’t happen. Don’t be caught unaware due to your cell phone, or blindly
putting yourself at risk. Remember, the school bully philosophy is the same as
the gun-toting criminal; it has just violently evolved to this level.

“This time, this time.
This time, this time I ain’t gonna run, run, run, run, run.
Not this time, not this time.
Not this time.

Not this time.”

With the Christmas season upon us, be a smart shopper and if
at any time you feel like you have been targeted, turn around and go back to
your car or into the store and call for assistance. Educate your children, as
they are more distracted than at any time in our history. Don’t be a target and
if you are, by all means resist.

7 comments:

Anonymous
said...

DDC: Very, very good column in The Baytown Sun this morning! It is a big problem and can so badly affect the way that the victims turn out in their lives. Thank you for this. God bless you and keep writing.

Bert a great subject and well put together. I work in a NEW professional setting at 60 and the hiring process has gone really deep. Larger companies do not hire damaged goods unless they look they can be changed, but it all stems from "where" and how they grew up. Shame we have to turn earned master degrees away because in a 10 minute sit with the best HR people, they know all about a person. I'm so blessed my Daddy put us boys on "drugs" growing up. Drug us to school, drug us to Church and drug us to Work. I still call Dad sir and anyone else when talking with them even if 30 years younger. Respect goes a long way. My pastor said that 90% in prison or jail have one OR both parents that also were in prison or jail once. It sure proves to be more fact than theory. To conclude it's going to stay with the youths when not caught or punished. Parents need to make sure a child hasn't been bullied. Starts at home and stays with one a lifetime, but these days hard to find new professionals with bully baggage at "most" career settings. There's hope. Can't say it for all of them as we see everyday in the news, the leftovers. ~ Steve Liles

Bert a great subject and well put together. I work in a NEW professional setting at 60 and the hiring process has gone really deep. Larger companies do not hire damaged goods unless they look they can be changed, but it all stems from "where" and how they grew up. Shame we have to turn earned master degrees away because in a 10 minute sit with the best HR people, they know all about a person. I'm so blessed my Daddy put us boys on "drugs" growing up. Drug us to school, drug us to Church and drug us to Work. I still call Dad sir and anyone else when talking with them even if 30 years younger. Respect goes a long way. My pastor said that 90% in prison or jail have one OR both parents that also were in prison or jail once. It sure proves to be more fact than theory. To conclude it's going to stay with the youths when not caught or punished. Parents need to make sure a child hasn't been bullied. Starts at home and stays with one a lifetime, but these days hard to find new professionals with bully baggage at "most" career settings. There's hope. Can't say it for all of them as we see everyday in the news, the leftovers. ~ Steve Liles